Guarding The Future
by Moon Frost18
Summary: When an unusual pair joins the Hidden Leaf village, friends are made and secrets are hidden. But even the best kept secrets must come to light one day. Rated M for safety for any future chapters. Eventual KotetsuxOC/IzumoxOC
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Why hello there! I know I've got a bunch of other stories that I should be working on, but this one has been bouncing around my hard drive for ages now, so I figured- why not? This isn't going to be a short story, but hopefully someone else out there likes it. If it isn't your cup of tea, thanks for stopping by anyway and giving it a try. I appreciate the visits regardless- all I ask for is minimal flames. With that in mind, this is an eventual pairing of OC's with our favorite bored out of their minds gate guards. As always, I don't own any of the characters other than the ones that my weird little mind has created. Definite liberties have been, and will be, taken with the story and events/timeline, so I ask for you to roll with it and come along for the journey if it interests you.

XXX

Her snarl of anger and outrage rumbled deep and threatening as she launched herself into the fray. The Kyuubi wasn't going to win out, not if she could help it. Minato had asked for help- for time- and if it killed her, she would give him that. The masked man seemed hellbent on their destruction and she wasn't inclined to allow him the satisfaction of success. This village was her home now and if it took her life, she would protect it. She refused to lose another home, another family.

Blood spattered through the air and she ignored the horrified gasps of the shinobi around her as a deep rent was ripped open in her side. She forged on, her fangs seeking purchase anywhere they could, dealing as much damage as she was able, wishing desperately that she could draw the creature away from the brave men and women who were sacrificing their lives to defend their home and families. Still, she knew they wouldn't listen. Everything was chaos around them, men and women dying, their last gasps of life searing into her brain.

She had seen the sad smile that twisted on his normally cheerful face and repressed a whine. She had reined in the desire to nuzzle him and his laboring wife, to try and reassure them that all would be well. But she knew it would be a lie. And so did they. As Minato teleported the fox away from the village, she followed her nose to where the scent appeared. Her wounds burned sharply as she struggled to stay on her feet as she sealed the monster inside once more. The wolf snarled in the recesses of her mind, still fixed on attacking the creature that had wrought so much death and destruction upon its newfound home. From outside Kushina's barrier, she watched, her heart aching.

She knew that, without a doubt, it would be the last time that she would see the kind man, the Hokage of the village she had been tasked with guarding, alive. The blond haired man formed the signs for the Reaper Death Seal and she felt her heart sink. His wife, always so kind and loving, even towards a creature such as herself, would not survive long past her beloved. The Third and the remainder of Minato's guard's appeared nearby, but none could break through the barrier. They watched as the Nine Tails attempted to attack the infant and saw both parents sacrifice themselves to protect their child. Tears poured down Kushina's face as she spoke to the small bundle, Minato's arms gentle around her as they began the process of sealing away the beast.

As the sealing was finished and the wails of a child reached her sharp ears, Kana fell limp, her knees thudding heavily into the blood soaked soil. Tears built in her eyes as she stared blankly at the desolation around her, one arm clutched across her stomach as she fought to keep the bile down. Stumbling, she forced herself to her feet and towards the thin, reedy cry of Minato and Kushina's child.

Blood covered, she was no suitable visitor for such a innocent soul, but she had to see him. A shock of blond hair peaked out of the bundle he was wrapped in and she sagged in relief. One of the shinobi, an auburn haired teen that she vaguely remembered meeting, caught her, his senbon clicking in his teeth. His brown eyes were worried as he watched her, but hers were fixed on the small child that was carried gently in the arms of the Third.

"You're the newest owl mask, aren't you?" Genma commented, his eyes studying her. He remembered watching her as she took her mask from Minato months ago, the proud and solemn way that she carried herself catching his attention. She had the look of a soul who had seen far more than her young years should have permitted, or so he thought at the time. Looking out at the devastation of the battlefield now, he couldn't help but wonder how many others would bear that same haunted look that aged them beyond their years.

Her eyes, a bright golden amber mixed with gray met his wearily and he saw her nod. "I am. I ask that you keep that to yourself though."

Genma shrugged indifferently, his eyes moving to the rapidly staining red that was flowing from her side and staining both of their clothes. "Suit yourself. We should really get that taken care of though."

Kana's eyes followed his and she gave a hollow laugh as she straightened, grimacing. "Probably. First things first though..."

She approached the Third and the small bundle he held, ignoring the stench of fresh tension that washed through the air. Although clearly hesitant, he let her see the fussing child and she smiled, her weariness washing away for a moment. His mop of blond hair, bright blue eyes, and his gurgling smile were so like his parents that she felt her breath catch. Then, she saw the seal on his rounded belly and understood what Minato had truly done. Her eyes were bright with tears as she met the Hokage's anguished gaze and he nodded to her unspoken question.

"This poor child." her voice was pained as she studied his tiny features, her lips tugging upwards as he made a grab for her hair, his chubby fingers tangling in the long strands.

"His name is Naruto." His voice lowered as he studied her carefully, "Are you the guardian Minato referred to?" he asked softly and saw her tense before nodding slowly.

"I will continue to guard this village with my life, if allowed. We can discuss this at a later date." She said shortly, untangling Naruto's chubby fingers from her hair as gently as possible. "For Minato and Kushina's sake, I will protect him and this village as best I can."

The Hokage nodded, but she had already turned away. She ignored the gaze of the other shinobi and the only one who made any effort to follow after her was the one who had caught her earlier. The thin needle in his mouth clicked as he clenched his teeth in irritation and he caught her arm as she stumbled, slinging it over his shoulder as he scooped her into his arms.

"I told you."

"Who are you, my mother?" she groused, her head lolling tiredly against his chest, not bothering to fight for once. The day had drained her and although she hated to admit he was right, she wasn't doing well. Black lapped at the edge of her vision and she felt his eyes settle on her once more. She heard him chuckle and then fall silent once more as an unseen expression of seriousness crossed his face.

"Haven't seen much of you since you joined up. Never knew where you came from either. You didn't move up with a class like the rest of us, nor did you take the exams with a true team."

His questions were asked lightly enough, but she felt the underlying demand for answers as clearly as if he had interrogated her. She ignored him, focusing instead on calming the inward struggle between her and the beast that shared her mind. Distantly, she heard him tsk in annoyance, his gait lengthening slightly as he hurried towards the already over-packed hospital. She snorted faintly in exasperation, knowing nothing there would be able to help her right now and wanting nothing more than to let sleep claim her.

"Hey, don't be falling asleep on me!" alarm colored the teen's voice and she cracked open a tired eye.

"I'm tired. It's been a rather draining day." she retorted with a sigh, her grey eyes locking with his light brown as he frowned down at her.

"Just stay awake until we get to the hospital." his voice was curt and her lips quirked in a faint smile.

"Worried about me?"

She heard him snort, teasing a laugh out of her before she winced, a sharp pain lancing through her as her wounds tore further from his jostling. Her gaze wandered over his features and she could see the man he would grow into- handsome and self assured, and above all else, powerful. An almost frightening amount of power pulsed in him and she repressed the urge to shiver. His eyes tightened as he looked down at her, feeling her curl into herself as he ran and saw the pallor of her skin. His pace increased until he reached the doors of the hospital, his gait slowing to a purposeful walk as he strode through the lobby.

The scent of blood was heavy around them, so heavy that it nearly overwhelmed her senses and she fought the urge to gag. He carried her though the double doors after a nurse gestured towards him and gently settled her onto the tidy white bed. A second nurse rushed in, her face paling as she saw the rapidly staining sheets beneath her newest patient.

"I can help if you need me to." The young man offered, and Kana glanced at him in confusion, the nurses looking relieved.

"Do you have any medical training?" the first nurse asked and both looked relieved once more as he nodded. The second bustled out of the room to help with the next flood of wounded shinobi.

"Technically, to the opposite of healing, but the concepts are the same." he muttered and Kana's eyes narrowed at him.

"I'll be fine." She informed him tersely, forcing herself into a sitting position. He flashed her a lazy smile, the needle in his mouth glinting dangerously under the bright hospital lights.

"Sure you will." he agreed easily, "How about you hop on off of that bed and show me?"

Kana's grey eyes narrowed at the challenge in his question and she grimaced as her feet touched the ground and she held herself upright with a stubborn glare. The nurse protested and she gave the woman an irritated glare, ignoring the woman's continued efforts to push her back down on the bed. She forced herself to walk towards the door and heard a bark of surprised laughter come from behind her. Her hand barely brushed the door when his warm palm wrapped around her wrist.

"You've proven your point." his brown eyes were gentle and half amused, the senbon quirking upwards as he grinned. "Let me try to heal you before you go at least."

"It won't make a difference." she said tiredly, "You won't be able to do much."

Although confusion flickered in his gaze, he held her. "Let me do what I can then."

She sighed, but allowed him to lead her back to the now stained hospital bed. Hissing, she lay back and grimaced as her side bled out anew. "What's your name?" his question startled her and her grey eyes snapped towards him, suspicion written in her gaze. He held up a blood covered hand in placation and a small smile touched his lips. On her other side, the nurse had begun healing her, her eyes weary as she felt her patient fighting against her efforts.

"We can't help if you're fighting us." the nurse said, frustrated. "Do you want to bleed out?"

"You had to have fought like a demon to be this badly banged up. I didn't see you, but that fight was hellish." his brown eyes were serious as he investigated her wounds. "Then there was that beast fighting against the Nine Tails...never thought I would see something like that. Such devastating power on both sides." he murmured, "I can't imagine why it was fighting against the Nine Tails though."

"Maybe it had something it wanted to protect." she said quietly, flinching as his fingers probed at a particularly deep wound.

"Mmmm." he hummed, "Either way, you never said your name."

"Neither did you." she said, groaning as he pulled shreds of fabric out of the gash down her side.

"Genma."

He grinned at her surprised look and she swore as he tried to gently wipe away the crimson liquid, her chest heaving as she panted. "Kana." she replied through grit teeth and as she cracked one eye, she saw him smile.

"Nice to meet you, Kana." he said mildly as he focused on slowing the blood flow from her side. He frowned as it slowed, yet he felt something resist his chakra and nudged a bit more of his into her wound. Kana felt her nails lengthening and swallowed back the low growl that had started to build in her throat. _Calm. Relax._

"You're fighting me." Genma said quietly, his eyes tightening in confusion. "You have to trust me. I'm trying to help, no matter how much it hurts."

Her eyes were back to that unusual bright gold and there was a hint of wildness that showed through there. _Trust me_. His words echoed in her mind and her inner snarled in rebellion, both her and it shying away from the idea of letting anyone in other than their own. She swallowed thickly as he locked eyes with her, his hands warm against her skin.

"Just trust me."

"I barely know you." she retorted and saw his lips quirk upwards again.

"We could always change that." Again, his lips curled into that teasing, lazy smile and she glared at him.

"I'm not interested in being some... plaything." she spat out, earning a laugh from the shinobi.

"You're a different one, but I like it." he commented, still chuckling to himself. "Still," he sobered as he turned his attention back to her injuries. "I need you to calm down and stop fighting against me if I'm to help you at all..."

Kana closed her eyes against his steady gaze and swallowed back the urge to snap at him. _Peace. He's trying to help._ Her other side railed against her but she held firm. She was so tired of fighting. Of hurting. Both physically and emotionally she hurt- having to fight her own mind was more draining than she wanted to deal with at the moment. _You are a part of me- in MY body and if you want that to continue, then knock it off!_ She slapped the wolf demon back with a silent snarl and the beast fell back, surprised. When she looked at Genma, her eyes had calmed and her irises had returned to their normal- or at least he assumed it was normal- grey.

Despite his abilities, he struggled to close her wounds. It was as though her very body was fighting against him and even though she swore she wasn't trying to hinder him, it still felt like he was pushing his chakra though molasses. Across from him, sweat had beaded on the nurse's brow and felt herself approaching the limits of her abilities. Slowly, almost painfully so, her bleeding slowed and then stopped, her wounds closing, although not fully. Sweat beaded his brow with the effort and he felt himself approaching the point of complete exhaustion swiftly. The breath tore from his chest as he gasped and he felt her cool hand cover his.

"You've done what you can." she said gently, "It's more than anyone else has ever managed."

"I can finish this." he replied stubbornly and saw her smile.

She struggled upright, wincing as her newly healed wounds protested. He tried to push her back but she shrugged him off, that same smile twisting on her lips. She raked a hand back through her tangled locks and shook her head. "Honestly, you're almost as bad as I am." She saw him open his mouth to protest and clamped her hand over his mouth, grinning as his eyes widened in surprise. "Hush. I can take it from here. You can rest."

Her other hand rested lightly on his shoulder and his mind felt a twinge of unease before everything faded to black. The last thing he remembered was falling forward and feeling her arms catch him.

A/N: And there we have it. The first chapter of some random ramblings that my mind had while watching the show. Like I said, it's probably going to be a long one, so hopefully someone out there will stick with me through it. Either way, I've been enjoying toying with the idea. I don't really have an idea 100% penned out, but it's getting there. Anywho, thanks for reading and if you liked it, let me know!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Welcome back! I'm trying to do weekly updates on this one, so hopefully someone out there will have something to look forward to. These first few chapters are mostly just the prologue. Once we get past this, the story should start to pick up, even though I don't really have a plan yet about where I want it to go. As usual, none of the characters are my own save for my own little odd creations. Anyway, without further ado, let's begin!

Birds chirping loudly outside his window woke Genma and he grimaced at the bright sunlight pouring through. For a moment, he wondered why he could hear them so clearly and then the cracked pane brought everything flooding back. Tears filled his eyes and he choked back a sob as he remembered watching his friends, his teachers, his family die. Then Minato and his wife, the small bundle that was all that remained in their memory and the cursed seal their child bore- the price of saving the village that Minato had loved so dearly. He had always believed in Genma, in all of them, and Genma had failed him.

A knock on his bedroom door startled him and he slipped to his feet, his footsteps silent as he made his way towards the sound. His door swung open as he stepped behind it and he tensed as he peered around the solid wood.

Kana frowned as she studied the rumpled bed, the plate of steaming food in her hand forgotten as her eyes raked over the room. The door swung shut behind her and her lips curved in a smile when her eyes rested on the tense figure who stood there, kunai in hand, staring at her in surprise.

"Good morning to you too." she said easily, making her way over to him. She caught his hand and tugged him after her into the small kitchen and nudged him towards the table. Her fingers neatly plucked the blade from his hand and she noted the hastily scrubbed cheeks with an inward sigh. "It's just me, Genma."

His eyes tracked her for a moment, warily. "How did I get here?" He studied her bandaged arms and bandaging that peeked out from beneath her shirt as she shrugged.

"I told you I could handle it." her smile was easy and relaxed as she watched him, leaning in to return his kunai to the pouch on his thigh.

"That doesn't explain what happened."

"You were tired and passed out. I brought you back here and now there's food." she summed up the events neatly and he eyed the plate in her hand.

"I wasn't that tired. You put your hand on my shoulder and I woke up here." he told her curtly, "How did I even wind up here?" he asked and saw her smile as she handed him the plate and utensils.

"Like I said, I brought you here."

His eyes narrowed at her back and she grinned over her shoulder. "I had to say thank you somehow, so enjoy breakfast. I'll see you around, I'm sure."

His plate clattered against the table as he caught her, pinning her to the wall. He felt the blade of his kunai bob as she swallowed, her eyes bright and dangerous as she glared at him. His own gaze was dark as he stared at her, searching her eyes for something, some kind of clue of if he could trust her or not.

"Is there a purpose to this?" she asked softly, her voice icy as she watched him.

"How the hell did you knock me out, let alone know where I live, let alone get inside?" his voice was a low growl, rising in accusation with every question. She was still against him but he could see the anger building in her eyes.

"For someone who claims to be proficient with medical abilities- both healing and otherwise- you're kind of an idiot. Direct chakra straight into pressure points and you can achieve unconsciousness." she retorted, "As for the other two, I asked and I found the key in your jacket."

She hadn't asked or used his key, but he didn't need to know that.

Slowly, he stepped back, the blade falling from her throat. He had the good grace to look guilty and he glanced away with a sigh. "That would make sense. But you didn't need to knock me out." he said, a wry smile touching his lips.

"Like you were going to listen otherwise?" she shot back, unable to resist the smile that tugged at her lips. "I told you I would deal with the rest of it and I will. Now hush and eat your breakfast." she shook her head in exasperation and heard him chuckle.

"Kana-" she paused to glance back at him and his expression twisted, "I'm sorry for just now. I just... after everything yesterday..."

She nodded, her gaze softening with understanding. "I know. It's okay. just take it easy for a little while." her hand waved over her shoulder lazily, "I'll see you around, Genma."

He watched the door click shut behind her and sighed, feeling the aches and pains of the prior day flare to life. Groaning, he collapsed into a chair and dug into the plate of food he had hastily set down and sighed as he enjoyed his meal.

Kana jogged back to the apartment she shared with her sister, relieved to see that the young girl was still fast asleep. Bright blue eyes snapped open as she plopped on the bed beside her and Amara shot upright, worry flitting over her face as she studied her sister's bandaged form.

"You're hurt," she plucked at the hem of Kana's sleeve and the older teen grinned.

"You worry too much."

"Someone has to," the younger girl shot back, "or else you end up like this!"

Kana laughed and ruffled her hair gently. "I'm okay, brat. One of the Anbu members made sure I was taken care of." At her sister's questioning look, she smiled and shrugged. "Surprised me too. Folks around here haven't been all that welcoming, but Genma seemed genuinely worried." She broke off with a little laugh, shaking her head. "Course, he about drained himself trying to heal me, but he'll be okay. I got him home and made sure he rested and had food before I left. Seems like a nice enough guy, all things considered."

At the mention of the Anbu's name, Amara brightened. "Genma? As in Genma Shiranui?"

Kana tilted her head to the side, her cheek resting in her palm as she studied her sister with a mixture of surprise and curiosity. "What do you know about him?"

"He's interesting, as far as shinobi go." Amara mused, "He's capable of some fairly advanced techniques, but doesn't seem to have much ambition about it. From what I've gathered on him, he would be a strong ally to have. He's a member of the Hokage's guard and excels at infiltration and assassination." At the mention of the Hokage, Kana's expression sobered and Amara's eyes dulled. "That's right...The Fourth Hokage..."

Kana pressed her lips together, forming a thin line as she chewed her lower lip. She pulled her sister to her side and rested her head against hers, Amara's blonde locks blending with her own auburn strands. "I promised him that we would look after Naruto and the village as best we could."

"Did he have a choice?" Amara asked softly, her voice pained.

"...No. Not in the end."

Amara buried her face in her sister's shoulder and Kana rested her chin on top of the younger girl's head as she hugged her, feeling her shoulders shake as she tried not to cry. "He loved this village so much...It's hard to image it without him or Kushina." Kana said quietly. After a moment, Amara straightened and scrubbed her cheeks. Kana looked her over and laughed a little before hauling the girl to her feet. "You're a mess." she teased, "Go shower already. We've got a meeting with the Third."

Still sniffling, Amara headed towards the bathroom and joined her sister shortly in the living room. She wore a sleeveless dress with a thigh holster, her long hair loose except for the clips that held the strands away from the sides of her face. Kana smiled at her and the two set out towards the Hokage's office. As the walked through the village, Amara couldn't help but feel horrified at the devastation that surrounded them. Buildings were being repaired already, but the damage that many had sustained was substantial. Death clung to the air around them, assaulting her nose and she nearly gagged at the cloying, coppery, scent. Kana's fingers twined with hers for a brief second as she gave her sister's hand a reassuring squeeze before releasing her.

Although the girl hadn't said as much, she wasn't happy at being locked away the night before. Still, Kana didn't regret it. The last problem she wanted to worry over was having Amara involved in the nightmare that had been the previous night. Wounds were still fresh over their own losses and she refused to allow her sibling to relive anything even remotely similar. When they reached the Hokage's offices, they shared a look before stepping into the chaos. Around them, shinobi bustled, trying to put out metaphorical fires. Kana's Anbu uniform let them continue uncontested, but the pair could feel eyes watching them, burning into their backs as they ascended the stairs.

When they were admitted, the Third greeted them with a weary smile. The sister's bowed respectfully and the older man bade them to take a seat across from him. He studied them for a long moment, his eyes curious as they stared in silence at each other. "Well," he began, "I understand that the Fourth was responsible for allowing you both entry and residence?"

"Correct," Kana answered, "He offered us an opportunity to join the Leaf village in return for our guardianship."

"Guardians, eh?" the old man studied them closely. The elder one couldn't have been more than thirteen, the younger barely a year or two less. Yet, despite their age, there was an aura of power about the pair. Their chakra was subdued, compressed down to be almost unnoticeable. Almost. The blips that flared out indicated an incomplete control over the energy, the younger of the two more subdued than that of the elder and the energy that he sensed was unstable and wild. He withdrew a scroll from a drawer and set it on the desk between them.

Wordlessly, Kana and Amara bit their thumbs and placed it over the seal. The mark that held the scroll closed from prying eyes dissolved as their blood touched it and the Hokage gently unfurled the parchment. His eyes widened as he read and when he had finished, he carefully resealed the document and replaced it in the drawer. His eyes were sympathetic as they met those of the two girls sitting before him. They looked equally afraid and worried as they waited for him to speak.

"Does anyone else know of the truth? What you are?" He asked finally and saw both heads shake.

"The Fourth deemed it on a 'need to know basis' and that it would be better in the long run if we continued our work in secret." Kana said softly, "The villagers weren't apt to approve of knowing that there were two more monsters roaming their homes and even less likely to approve now."

The Third sighed. _What a mess_ , he thought to himself. Still, he couldn't deny the truth in her words. The villagers had barely accepted the fact that Kushina had the Nine Tails sealed within her and the hatred for the child she had born was already running rampant through the town. People were afraid that the seal that contained the beast was flawed and that the horrors that had been visited on them would reoccur. He couldn't deny that their aid would be invaluable should they prove competent in the coming months of rebuilding.

"You may remain." He said at last and saw them visibly relax. "However, I would like to see a demonstration, if possible."

Amara glanced worriedly at Kana and felt her fingers quickly squeeze hers. Kana's grey eyes were calm as they studied the old man and she shook her head slowly. "I'm afraid that at the moment, that wouldn't be the wisest idea." she replied and saw his eyes narrow in curiosity. "With as much blood as in the air, neither of us would be able to control the creature's for long."

"Would they turn on the village?" he asked and saw her shake her head again.

"This is their home as much as ours," Amara was the one to answer him and he fixed the fair haired teen with a look that demanded explanation and she hastened on. "They are bound to us just as much as we are to them. Our home is theirs and while we don't always see eye to eye, we protect the same."

"What she's trying to say," Kana interrupted and saw Amara heave a grateful sigh, "is that if we gave them freedom right now, we probably wouldn't be able to stop them from hunting down the masked man." Her voice softened as she thought, "They were fond of Minato, despite what they were, and they view their deaths as something that must be avenged."

After a moment, the Hokage nodded. "Another time then," he agreed and gave them a small smile. "That aside, I trust that you have a safe place to stay?" Both sisters nodded and he continued on. "I will remove you from the roster temporarily until you feel everything is under control enough to resume. Am I to assume that you will be continuing your guardianship regardless of your temporarily inactive status?"

The sisters glanced at one another and nodded after a moment. Sarutobi fixed the elder sister with an amused glance as he studied her bandaged wounds. "I'm amazed to see a shinobi who willingly got treatment. I thought none of you had the sense of self preservation to actually do that anymore."

Kana flushed and glanced down at her hands. "Actually, it was one of your guards who drug me there."

"Oh?"

"She said it was Genma Shiranui," Amara supplied and Kana shot her a glare.

"Genma, eh?" The old man chuckled, then sobered. "He's another one I should pull from the roster for a little while, but I don't think we can spare him..." he thought, unhappy at the prospect of sending the young man back into the field so soon after the loss of his friends.

"How bad were the losses?" Kana asked softly, her eyes straying to the window overlooking the village.

Amara and the Hokage followed her gaze and the old man sighed. "We sustained heavy casualties. Many skilled shinobi were lost last night and I expect many will not survive their injuries." he said wearily. They talked for several minutes longer before he dismissed them and the pair ducked out of his office.

Over the next six months, the sister's ran nightly patrols. The gate guards had challenged them initially, but fell silent when presented with an order from the Hokage himself to allow the sisters freedom to range into the surrounding forests. For the most part, their patrols were quiet. There had been an uptick in spy attempts initially, but after a few of them returned home half catatonic with fear, babbling about fanged monsters, the attempts bled off. After three months, when it seemed like the greatest threats had been handled and the village nearly rebuilt, Kana resumed missions. She preferred to work alone, and for the most part, the Hokage respected those wishes. Both teens gave nightly patrol reports to him, regardless of if anything had transpired, and quietly but steadily, the village regained its strength.

A/N: The prologue is rocking along, slowly but surely. If you're reading, thank you for stopping by!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: As always, nothing is mine except for my own characters!

"How long has it been since you've been in the Village for more than a few days?" The Hokage's voice was gentle, but there was a thread of rebuke in it as he studied the young man in front of him. For all of his skill, the teen was treating his existence so cavalierly that he couldn't help but be worried. At best, he was trying to forget the attack. At worst, he was a step shy of suicidal and was using these back to back missions as a cover.

"I've been trying to help with the rebuilding." Genma said by way of answer, and knew by the tightening of the old man's face, that his answer was unsatisfactory.

"Which, while greatly appreciated, is worth nothing if you work yourself into an early grave, Genma."

"I can handle the missions."

"That is for me to decide, not you." The old man's voice wasn't unkind as he watched the irritation bloom on the young shinobi's face. "You are going to take some time off, regardless of if you want to or not."

Genma bit back the protest that threatened to strangle him and nodded. "How long until I can be back in the field?"

"Six weeks."

Sarutobi saw the anger glint in Genma's eyes and fixed him with a firm stare. "If I so much as catch you looking at the gate or walls, it'll be another week added on." he said firmly, allowing no protest as he continued. "Pick up your pay and enjoy your free time, Genma."

Genma's bow was deep enough to be respectful, but only just. Raido watched as his friend stormed out of the Hokage's office, irritation barely hidden and anger tensing his shoulders, and followed after him. He caught his shoulder in a gentle grip, forcing the younger man to slow down, even as he fixed Raido with an annoyed glare.

"What?"

Raido raised an eyebrow at the brusque tone and Genma had the grace to look abashed at his behavior.

"Sorry, Rai..." Genma sighed and shook his head, "I didn't mean to snap at you."

"I know." Raido said gently, "Mind talking about what has you so angry?"

The question was a slight rebuke and Genma recognized it for what it was. It was out of character for him to lose his temper over much of anything, but after everything that had happened, everyone that he had lost, being in Konoha again for any extended time hurt. It was a deep ache behind his ribs that left him choked and feeling like his heart had dropped into the deepest pit of his stomach. Every time he went into that office and saw the old man's carefully gentle smile instead of the bright grin that Minato had always greeted his guards with, it ached more than he could bear. The belief that he had failed Minato ate away at him, burning in his heart the longer he wandered the streets of the village the man had loved so dearly. He loved Konoha fiercely, but right now, being there was more than he could handle.

"Genma?"

Raido's voice snapped him out of his misery and he gave the older man a weak smile as he shook his head. "Just didn't want to be forced into a vacation just yet."

"Lord Hokage pulled you from the roster?" Raido's voice was half surprised, half relieved and Genma shot him a glance, his amber eyes narrowed as he nodded. "Can't say I'm not relieved. It's been a while since you spent any significant time here, you know." This time, rebuke was plain in his words and Genma sighed.

"Yeah, well, I'll be around for at least the next six weeks."

He shook off Raido's hand and promised to meet up with the other man later, but his heart wasn't in it. He let his feet follow the old familiar path towards his apartment, irritation still roiling in the pit that had taken residence in his stomach. The Hokage's words ran through his head on repeat and left a sour taste in his mouth, his mouth pulling in a frown as he walked without thinking.

As his fingers brushed against the doorknob, he tensed, his senses warning him that something was off. Amber eyes narrowed as the door swung open, suspicion sweeping through him, followed immediately by surprise. For as little as he had been home, he would have expected his apartment to be in a serious state of disarray that he was in no way willing to tackle at the moment. Instead, the houseplants that he had expected to be withered and long dead, were vibrant and healthy. The dust he had expected was no where to be seen and the scent of stagnant air was absent. The wooden floors were clean and his shelves were clear of any traces of dust and the air smelled as clean as the air outside, although there was a lingering scent of flowers and wood.

"What on earth?" he muttered, checking each room for signs of intruders and finding nothing.

Even as he ran the taps, the water that poured out was clear and had none of the scent that comes with being unused for a period of time. The refrigerator was empty of the old food he had been dreading cleaning out and he only found himself more bewildered the more he poked around his own home. Eventually, night fell and having found no sign of a returning intruder, he threw caution to the wind and collapsed on his neatly made bed and fell unto an unconscious slumber that he would have never dared to had he not been surviving purely on the remnants of a soldier pill and sheer stubbornness.

Morning came and a head poked through the slumbering shinobi's doorway as she listened for any signs of life. Kana's lips twitched upward when she heard the sound of soft snoring coming from the bedroom and pushed the door open for her bag toting sibling to come through. The pair worked in quiet tandem, carefully restocking the empty fridge and replacing any items that they had forgotten in the last few days.

"What the hell is going on?"

Genma stood in the doorway to his bedroom, surprise plain on his face as he watched the two young women in his kitchen. Kana glanced up, innocence written across her face and Amara grinned at him. Holding out a steaming mug to the bewildered shinobi, Kana smiled at him and he warily crossed the distance between them to accept it.

"The Hokage said you would be coming back for a little while a few weeks ago after you left on your last mission. Figured you might appreciate coming home to a livable apartment versus..." she paused to look around the clean room, "well, you know."

"How did you even get in?" Genma asked, disbelief plain in his voice. He sipped the dark liquid in the mug and settled into a chair with a tired, but appreciative sigh. The coffee was dark and plain, but helped to clear away the last of the cobwebs that clouded his mind. Kana studied him for a minute, noting the dark circles yet under his eyes, the bedraggled hair that he hadn't yet bothered to push out of his face, and the few visible wounds that he bore that marked his arms, before she turned back to the stove with a smile.

"Silly, locks aren't an issue!" the younger of the two said with a laugh and he turned his attention to her. "I'm Amara, by the way."

"Amara. It's nice to meet you." He appraised her friendly smile, the bright blue eyes that studied him with frank curiosity and couldn't help but smile. "I'm Genma."

"I know." Amara said, "Kana told me about you- how you tried to heal her and everything after the fight."

"I've been meaning to ask you about that, by the way." Genma turned his attention to the older sibling, his eyes narrowing as he sipped the coffee and felt the last bits of his awareness return. Kana glanced over her shoulder, one eyebrow raised as she listened. "I checked my pockets the next morning and talked with a few people. You never asked anyone where I lived and my key was nowhere to be found. The pocket I kept it in had been ripped open."

"Huh. Is that so?" the grey iris that glanced back at him was oddly mirthful and he didn't miss the sly smile that slipped across her lips before she turned her attention back to the stove.

"Yeah, so mind telling me how you knew where I lived and how you got in?"

Kana smiled and Amara giggled from where she perched on the edge of her seat and the elder Kimura placed a full plate in front of him. The scent wafted up to him and he abruptly realized that he was starving. She handed Amara a smaller plate and the younger girl dug in happily. He eyed her suspiciously for a moment and flushed as his stomach rumbled loudly.

"Eat first?" Kana suggested, turning back towards the bubbling pot on the stove.

Genma spared the younger sister a glance and she smiled at him before shrugging and he sighed. Giving in to the rather loud demands of his body, he ate the plate of food and sighed in contentment as he finished. Kana refilled his coffee as she sipped her own and he gave her a pointed look, much to her amusement. He wondered if his acceptance of the invasion of his privacy had anything to do with the exhaustion that still lingered but shook away the thought seconds later. It wasn't the first time he had woken to find her in his apartment and something told him it would be a continuing event. He wasn't going to complain either, she was a good cook and something about the pair of teens made the ache in his chest lessen ever so slightly.

"I have a good nose and as Amara said earlier, locks aren't an issue for me." she answered his earlier question and he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Okay...So what's this all about? You must want something. People don't do this kind of thing without wanting something."

The silence that answered him made him look up. Neither kunoichi was looking at him and in the end, it was Amara who answered, her voice soft and halting as she spoke.

"You were nice. You took care of her. We've been here a year now and besides Minato, you were one of the only people who bothered to try and be nice. We just wanted to be able to say thank you."

Her honesty stripped him to the core and he studied the pair for a long moment. Kana hugged herself slightly, the grip on her mug tight as she cast a sour look at her sibling and the wary look in both their gazes broke something inside of him. They both had a look about them like a dog that had been mistreated one too many times and didn't know how to react when faced with kindness after so much abuse.

"It hasn't been that bad, brat." Kana chided her sister and Amara gave her a long, steady stare.

"It hasn't been that great either," Amara retorted, not breaking eye contact.

"Thank you." Genma said quietly, interrupting their staring match and startling the pair of them.

"Don't worry about it." Kana said after a moment, glancing at the dark liquid that swirled in her cup and Genma saw Amara give an agreeing nod.

"So, what's your story? You two just kind of showed up out of nowhere." Genma said, breaking into the awkward silence and saw both girls flinch.

"It's nothing. We came to the village to carry on as protectors and to provide our skills as shinobi. Minato was kind enough to allow us to stay and Sarutobi has been kind enough to allow us to remain as well." Kana said softly and Genma frowned.

"Where did you two come from? You must have trained somewhere."

"We came from..." her voice choked for a moment, "We came from a small village to the east." Kana replied, her expression closing off.

He glanced between the pair and saw the remnants of a still fresh wound lurking from behind their eyes and dropped the topic, albeit reluctantly. "Well, in that case, I'll have to introduce you to a few friends." He said, "If you're here, you might as well get to know a few more friendly faces."

Amara smiled at him, the pain that had shadowed her bright blue eyes fading and he couldn't help but smile back. "That would be fun. I like to meet new people."

"It's settled then. I think you'll get along with the group." Genma rose, throwing away the last of his reservations about finding his home intruded upon. He had a feeling that he had been adopted without being consulted, but found he didn't truly mind overly much. He didn't feel any threat from either sister, despite the oddity he sensed in their energy. He had an idea of what could help cheer up the younger of the two and he hoped would lessen the pain that screamed out at him from behind their eyes. "Although," he cast his eyes over the kitchen with a rueful sigh, "you really don't have to keep making me breakfast."

Kana shrugged and Amara laughed. "You might as well get used to it," the younger sibling said, confirming his earlier suspicions.

He sighed, but chose not to argue. The sisters helped clean up the small mess they had made, despite his protests that it was the least he could do in return. As they worked, he asked a few questions, noting the guarded answers they responded with, filing away their responses for later questioning. He was curious about the pair. He hadn't been able to figure out where in the village they were staying. Why had the Fourth allowed them into the village and where had they come from exactly? The village had been selective of the outsiders that it accepted over the last few years, having seen an uptick in spies and other malcontents, so for the Hokage to have welcomed them so quietly, there must be a reason. He gleaned little information other than the fact that Kana was nearly fourteen and Amara had only recently turned twelve. There were two other siblings, but they hadn't joined their sisters in coming to the village, choosing to walk their own paths. Still, he could tell that the two missed their absentee brothers.

"Any other plans for the day?" He asked, putting away the last of his clothing. Kana sat cross-legged on his bed, Amara laying beside her with her head dangling over the edge. Amara flipped onto her stomach and glanced at her sister before studying him curiously.

"I don't think so," Kana said, "Why?"

"I was going to check on one of the ANBU captains I know. His wife just had a baby not too long ago and I wanted to see if I could help out." Genma told them, thinking of Shikaku and Yoshino. He smiled faintly at how quickly they had relaxed around one another and ruffled Amara's hair gently. "They've got some herds of deer that they take care of too, if you aren't a fan of little ones."

"Can we?" Amara looked hopefully at her sibling and Kana snorted, the corner of her mouth twitching upwards.

"You don't have to beg, brat." She shook her head before glancing up at Genma. "As long as they won't mind the company, that sounds nice."

"Yoshino would love the help," He assured her and she gave him a faint smile. He held out a hand to each and both girls allowed him to pull them upright and off the bed. Outside, the village looked nearly back to normal and he nodded to the few people that he knew as they walked to the Nara compound. Curious glanced mixed with distrust as they walked and he could feel Kana tensing beside him. Grinning, he draped an arm over her shoulders and felt her jerk in surprise.

"You know, the people here aren't all bad." He said, the senbon in his mouth twitching. "Once they get to know you, they'll ease up. Right now, you're just a curiosity."

She didn't pull away, but rolled her eyes slightly. "A curiosity. Right...That's just what we need to be."

He laughed at her sarcastic tone and tweaked a strand of hair gently, grinning. "Who knows, break into a few other people's houses and make them food. I'm sure they'll open right up."

This time she really did roll her eyes and poked him in the side with a shake of her head. "Somehow, I don't see that being the case."

They reached the Nara compound and the two guards eyed his companions with narrowed gazes. He felt the spike in their chakra as they tensed and Kana's shoulders tightened beneath his arm. "Take it easy," he murmured and she shot him a sharp look, but kept silent.

"Easy guys. We're here to see Shikaku."

"And these two?" Suspicion was plain in the guard's voice as he studied the two. There was something strange about the chakra he sensed from them. Their energy, while small and compressed to be as unnoticeable as possible, swirled around them and while not outright ominous wasn't exactly what he would describe as...nonthreatening. He felt Genma's energy flare ever so slightly and an irritated look settled over the teen's features.

"Are with me." Genma said firmly.

"Let them through."

Shikaku's voice cut through the air and the guards tensed as the man strode towards them. He nodded at Genma before glancing at the two girls beside him. The younger hovered close to Genma, the older met his gaze, her own holding a hint of challenge. Genma tweaked a strand of hair gently and felt her relax slightly and Shikaku nodded at them after a moment.

"Are you sure?" the other guard questioned, hesitating. Shikaku sighed and raked a hand back through his hair, a bored expression settling over his face.

"If they'd wanted to be a problem, they would have already."

Genma pulled the sister's through the gate with him, Shikaku already walking ahead of them. The older man glanced back, his gaze appraising. Genma raised an eyebrow at his curious look but the head of the Nara chose to keep quiet, only sighing as he shoved his hands deeper in his pockets. He led them to the main house and Yoshino was delighted to meet the two girls, a chubby baby fussing in her arms. Amara was instantly drawn to the child and Kana smiled as the baby boy grabbed a handful of her long dark hair as she joined her little sister. Yoshino and her husband led the trio out to the forest where the deer roamed and Genma leaned back against a tree, chatting with Shikaku as they watched the girls nearby.

"It's beautiful here." Kana breathed and Shikaku chuckled at the open joy on her face as one of the does nuzzled her hands curiously.

"She likes you." he said, surprised, "Normally, she ignores just about anyone but me, and that's only if I have Shikamaru with me."

Genma watched as she smiled, a pool of warmth growing in his chest as he saw some of the unhappiness lift from her. She gently stroked the doe's neck and laughed when the creature stretched its long neck up in a wordless demand for more. Amara sat nearby with Yoshino as she played with their youngest child. Yoshino smiled at the pair of young girls as Kana joined them, the elder sister laughing as the young Nara caught a handful of her siblings hair in his grip and refused to relinquish it.

Later, as Genma and the two sisters made to leave, Yoshino stopped them. "You girls are always welcome here. I'll make sure that he," she indicated her husband with a jerk of her head, "remembers to invite you to dinner more often."

"That would be...nice." Kana said, her smile hesitant. "We'd be happy to help if you need a break or any help in general."

"I'll take you up on that." Yoshino promised, and Shikaku studied his friend as he watched the three females interacting.

"I smell a story." Shikaku muttered to Genma and the senbon that the other man held, slipped ever so slightly as he flinched. He recovered with a grin and saw the Nara frown and then sigh. "Whatever. They're welcome to come visit. Don't let them think that they aren't. If a pair has ever looked more like they could use some kindness, it's those two."

"Knew I could count on you." Genma replied in an undertone, his grin widening.

Kana gave him a hard look and he flushed and escorted the pair out of the compound. He listened to Amara ramble about how cute the Nara baby had been and how much she had liked seeing the deer and tried to ignore the way that Kana was studying him. He could practically feel the side of his face melt with the intensity of her gaze and he ducked his head to avoid it. They parted ways at his apartment and he leaned against his door with a sigh of relief as it closed.

"They were really nice, weren't they?" Amara said and Kana couldn't help but agree.

"They were."

"Do you think...do you think we could make more friends like that if we stay here?" Amara asked hesitantly and Kana blinked back unexpected tears at the reminder that without Konoha, they didn't have a home to return to, and hugged her sister tightly.

"Absolutely. You'll have plenty of friends."

"You too. I want to see you smile more like you did today." Amara's voice was quiet and Kana rested her head against her sibling's soft hair.

"I promise."

"Good." Amara was silent for a moment and then, "Do you think Ren and Tsume might come here if we asked?"

"I don't think so." Kana said sadly, her voice soft with regret. "I miss them."

"Me too. I miss when we were all happy and together."

""Me too, brat. Me too."

A/N: Happy Saturday! Thanks for stopping in and I hope you'll leave me a note if you're enjoying the story. I'm enjoying it, even though I'm not 100% on where I want the end to be going down the road. If you want to read a little fluff from the later part of the story (after the timeline of this one most likely), you can read it under "Waiting To Meet You". It's short and fluffy, but I still loved about 98% of it. Anyways, thanks for dropping in!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Welcome back! To everyone who has joined me on this- thank you! I appreciate you dropping by and reading. If you're enjoying it, then drop me a line and let me know. If not, well then thanks for stopping by regardless. This is a bit of a filler chapter in my opinion, but I still like it for the most part. Anyways, usual disclaimer: I don't own any characters other than the ones of my own creation.

Knocking on Genma's door, Raido waited. He forced himself to ignore the itching of the weal on his cheek. It seemed like it plagued him more now than ever and he hated it. He hated the looks, the pitying comments, the way people wouldn't quite meet his eyes; all because of the misshapen scar that marred his face.

From inside he heard the sound of laughter as footsteps pounded towards the door. As it swung open, he was greeted by a red faced Genma who seemed as though he was on the verge of being strangled by the young girl who had her arms wrapped around his neck.

For a moment, Genma seemed at a loss for words and the two young men stared at one another in surprise.

"He-ey Rai...how's it going?" Genma laughed nervously and the young girl peered over his shoulder, curiosity written on her face as she studied their guest. Raido gave Genma a curious look, shaking his head slightly as he sighed.

"I can see you're busy."

"Amara, I can't breathe!"

"Oh!" Surprised, she let go and dropped back to the ground, leaving a gasping, but very relieved looking Genma in the doorway as she ducked beneath his arm. "Sorry about that." She flashed him a smile and turned her attention back to the older teen.

Her smile was friendly as she studied his face and he resisted the urge to shy away from her gaze, unused to having anyone besides Genma actually look him in the eyes.

"It's nice to meet you, Rai- my name's Amara!" she grinned at him and he couldn't resist the smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Raido." He corrected her and saw her shrug.

"I like Rai better. Is that okay?"

He hesitated for a moment, then shrugged indifferently. "I suppose so."

Her smile was bright and only widened at the sound of footsteps behind him. A relieved look crossed Genma's face as he caught sight of the missing Kimura sister and Raido turned to look curiously at the newcomer.

"Sorry that took a little longer than I expected." Kana apologized, her lips twitching in a smile as she glanced at Raido. "I'm glad I thought to get extra. Are you joining us?"

Raido glanced between the auburn haired teen to his friend, confusion plainly written across his face and saw Genma grin as he readjusted his bandanna. "Want dinner? Kana promised to make it and she's a great cook."

"Sure..."

Kana slipped by him with a smile and headed into Genma's apartment and he followed after his friend and two guests, feeling a little perplexed as to what exactly was going on.

"I'm Kana, by the way." the previously unnamed teen smiled at him, her gaze never flinching away from him like so many others had. "That monster is my little sister, Amara."

"We've been introduced." he said, nodding. "I'm Raido. Nice to meet you."

"Well, Rai, I hope you're hungry." she commented, grinning at his surprised look and glanced at Genma. "I assume he was the guest you were thinking of earlier?"

Genma nodded and Raido raised an eyebrow at his friend. "Were you planning on telling me about this prior to now?"

"Would you have come?" Genma shot back and saw Raido's gaze drop.

"Regardless, it's nice to meet you and I'm glad you're joining us." Kana interrupted, nudging her younger sister out of the way as she rummaged through Genma's cupboards.

"You don't even know me."

"There are no strangers- only friends you haven't met yet!" Amara chirped as she darted out of her sister's way and Kana shook her head with an amused laugh.

"Ignore my little sister. She's oddly trusting, all things considered."

"Am not!" Amara stuck her tongue out at her sibling and Kana rolled her eyes in mock annoyance.

"Are too, brat." she said affectionately and Genma couldn't resist grinning at the pair before turning his attention back to his friend.

"Seriously though, Rai, I'm glad you came. The girls are relatively new in town and could use a friendly face or two. They're practically recluses as it is." he said in an undertone as they watched the pair. Kana glanced at the pair of them, her gaze appraising for a moment as she worked at chopping vegetables, then turned back to her sister as she relinquished the task to her.

"How do you know them?" Raido asked finally, curiosity winning out in the end.

"The older one, Kana, is a member of ANBU, joined up last year. Amara isn't far behind but I get the feeling she's headed more towards Ibiki's group than in her sister's shadow. Surprising, considering how strong of a pair they make when they fight on the same team."

"You didn't really answer my question."

Genma glanced at him and then sighed. "Honestly? They kind of adopted me in a strange way. I'm not really sure how it happened, but it did. Kana was there when the Nine Tails was sealed and practically bleeding out when I got her to the hospital. I ended up doing most the healing work on her and it pushed me nearly to my limits. Next thing I knew, I woke up here and she had made me breakfast." he chuckled at the memory and Kana glanced over at the pair.

"You forgot the part where you nearly tried to open my throat." she said lightly and Genma flushed.

"I wasn't used to having an intruder making me breakfast."

"I wasn't an intruder." Kana defended herself, "Besides, you had nothing in your fridge. I couldn't let you starve. Although," she glanced at the appliance in question with a despairing sigh, "clearly, you still haven't learned how to stock it."

Raido couldn't contain the snort of laughter and the embarrassed look on his friend's face and Genma glared at him. "Don't take her side!"

"It's true though. You should really learn how to take care of yourself a bit better. Ramen and take out aren't healthy every day." Raido said with a laugh.

Amara smiled at the pair as she perched on the counter top, finished with her task of chopping vegetables and ignored her sister jabbing her in the side to make room. Genma took pity on her after a moment and scooped the smaller girl into his arms, ignoring her yelp of surprise and deposited her on the couch. He ruffled her hair, earning a glare from the younger sibling, much to his amusement.

"Keep frowning like that and your face'll freeze that way." he told her, grinning.

"Will not!" she retorted, but a smile twitched on her lips regardless. She turned her attention to his friend and studied him openly, the sudden seriousness in her eyes catching him off guard.

"Are you Genma's partner?"

Raido glanced at the younger girl and nodded. "We've worked on the same squad many times over the years."

Amara glanced at her sister and frowned. "She needs a partner too. She hates working with others but I still wish she had someone she could trust." For a moment, her face looked older than her young years and Kana snorted at her sibling.

"Stop trying to auction me off. I don't want you in danger and I would rather work alone."

"Still, part of being a shinobi is being able to work as a team with others." Raido stated and saw her grey-blue eyes flicker towards him, her lips twitching upwards.

"Never said I couldn't work with a team. Just that I don't like to."

Genma was peering over her shoulder and she nudged back at him to gain room while she worked, shooting the older teen an amused look. "A watched pot never boils, Genma."

He hummed in vague disappointment and she laughed. "Here." she offered up the first of the tonkatsu she had made and he happily snatched the offered plate from her hand, retreating back to the table with Raido. The other man nodded in approval as he took a bite and Kana smiled at him, her expression warm.

"Need anything added?" she asked.

"More?" Genma said around the mouthful he was chewing and Raido sighed.

"Manners, you glutton."

Genma grinned at his friend and had the good grace to look abashed as he swallowed. "It tastes great." he told her, smiling and she laughed as she turned back to her work. Raido offered some of the snack to the younger girl, but she shook it off with a grimace.

"No thanks. She might be a good cook, but I still hate it."

"I have some chicken for you." Kana called and Amara grinned in thanks.

"My hero!"

"Anything for you, brat."

The siblings banter made Raido chuckle. When the cooking was done, he rose with Genma to help set the table and Amara helped her sister carry the plates of food to the table. Grey eyes flickered at the two young men eyeing the food eagerly and Kana laughed. "Dig in! There's plenty."

Genma and Raido dug in, Amara and her sister laughing as they filled their own bowls with curried rice and meat and ate at a slower pace. It was nice, Kana decided, having the chance to relax and not be constantly on edge about the creature dwelling inside her. The moon had waned and it slumbered in the recesses of her mind, content to wait and watch. She eyed her sister, her gaze flickering briefly to the darkened window and saw her younger sibling shake her head with a smile.

"It's good." Amara said and Kana nodded, knowing she didn't mean the food.

"It's delicious!" Genma complimented and Raido agreed.

"Thank you for having me," he cast a pointed look at his friend, "even if it was an underhanded way to go about it."

Genma ignored it and grinned. "Hey, can't have you hiding from the world forever." Raido's expression darkened and Genma thumped him over the head. "Knock it off. Just relax and have fun for once. We're all among friends."

Raido glanced at the two females who were both smiling at him, their expressions teasing.

"Yeah, have fun! It's nice to meet new people!" Amara's smile widened at his look of doubt. "We're friends now, right?"

Looking uncertainly at his friend, Raido nodded and Amara glanced at her sister and Genma happily. "Can we have Rai over more often?"

Genma's mouth curled into a smile as he watched his friend squirm and he chuckled. "Definitely. Even if I have to drag him here myself."

"Hopefully it won't come to that." Kana laughed and nudged the plate of food towards both men once more.

Later, as Genma and Raido shooed the siblings out of the kitchen and cleaned up the aftermath of their dinner, Genma glanced at his friend after several minutes of silence. "Why the long face?"

Raido was quiet for a moment as he studied the two teens sitting in the small living room, whispering to one another, his expression serious. "Where did they come from? Where is their family?" he asked finally and Genma sighed, the needle in his mouth twitching.

"They've only told me the bare bones of it all, but their clan was wiped out two years ago. They came from one of the allied villages, but from what I've gotten out of them, it was destroyed along with their clan." Genma said quietly. "They don't seem too keen on talking about it though, so I've never pried. Minato took them in and made them a part of the village. They're rather protective of all of us, even if they don't know many people."

Raido studied the pair a moment more, "Are they staying with you?"

Genma snorted, "I offered, but they refused. Course, it isn't as though a locked door keeps them out and they know they're welcome whenever the mood strikes them."

"Where do they live?"

"Honestly? Even after almost a year of knowing them, I have no idea." At Raido's horrified look, Genma waved his soapy hands in placation. "I know they're staying somewhere, but they aren't really forthcoming with information. I've tried to follow them, but that doesn't seem to work either. They'll open up eventually and let their guard down. I hope." he added the last softly, a worried look crossing his face as he studied the pair.

"They're sweet kids." Raido said finally and Genma chuckled.

"You've never seen them fight or you wouldn't say that, but yeah. I just wish they'd trust more people." Genma said, sighing. "Amara is pretty much how you see her- sweet and friendly, can make friends with just about anyone she talks to. Kana though...she can disarm with a smile and still never let you within an arms length of knowing anything about her. She acts as a shield for Amara. Trust me," he shivered, "that's one little sister that will never have to worry about bullies."

Raido chuckled, casting an amused grin at his friend. "When the Hokage gave you time off, I don't think this is quite how he imagined you spending it."

Genma laughed and glanced over at the two girls. "Yeah well, they kind of grow on you."

"Never said it was a bad thing." Raido followed Genma's gaze, his expression softening. "I'm glad they found you."

Genma shook his head with a wry grin, throwing the taller man a half exasperated, half teasing look, "Trust me, you'll be next on their list, mark my words."

Raido's lips curled in a half smile and handed the last dish to his partner. Amara bounded over to them, Kana watching with an amused smile, and drug both men into the living room. She had already picked out a movie and they settled onto the couch. It was cramped, but somehow comfortable and Raido smiled to himself, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders for the first time in weeks. Seeing the pain and anger fading from his friend over the last few weeks was a relief to him and he could hazard a guess as to the source of the change. Amara grinned up at him as she wedged herself between the two males and he chuckled, resting a hand on her hair and ruffling the long strands with a smile. They were exactly what the mourning shinobi had needed, Raido decided, and if he was fated to join the other man in being adopted into the girl's family of friends, he could definitely do worse. Amara huffed at him and Kana grinned at the older male with a laugh, Genma joining in on the teasing of the younger girl. He ruffled Amara's hair as well, laughing as she squirmed away, Raido chuckled to himself. Yeah, he could definitely do worse.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Standard disclaimer applies here- I only own my own characters and none of the others! My cast is growing, slowly but surely and my plot is gradually sorting itself out as I go along. We'll get more into the main story shortly! In the meantime, thank you for dropping in and taking the time to read. I really do appreciate it and I hope someone out there is enjoying this as much as I enjoy writing it!

It had been nearly five weeks since he had been removed from the active roster and Genma was going stir crazy, much to the irritation of his companions.

"Two more weeks!" Genma's head was buried in his hands as he sat in the standby station with Raido, Aoba, and several others. "I didn't even do anything and he tacks on two more weeks!"

"Genma, seriously, relax." Raido chided him and Genma lifted his head to glare at his partner.

"What do you think I've spent the last five weeks trying to do?" he groused and heard Aoba laugh.

"Yeah, but you've had those two lost chicks to follow you around- like a mother hen."

"Don't think I won't jam this needle up your ass, Aoba." Genma was unamused, which only made the other man laugh harder.

"There's other ways to be a kiss ass, Shiranui. That's hardly sanitary."

Genma growled something unintelligible and stalked towards the door, ignoring Aoba's teasing remarks to stop getting his feathers in a ruffle. As he stepped through the door, he collided with a slender, but solid form and toppled forward with a curse. Distantly, he heard Aoba cackle and topple off his seat as he laughed and threw a glare over his shoulder before struggling up from the tangle of limbs he found himself in. Surprised grey eyes met his and rolled off of Kana with a muttered swear and helped her upright.

"Sorry about that."

"No worries. Everything alright?" Kana asked carefully, noting the irritation that lined the older man's shoulders.

"Would you put a sock in it already, Yamashiro?!" he snapped, and the sound of laughter died out finally. He sighed and glanced back at her, "Yeah, I'm fine. What's up?"

"I wanted to ask if you would mind keeping an eye on Amara, if you don't mind. She knows to contact you if she needs anything, not that she should, but still. I'm heading out tomorrow and I..."

"Yeah, no problem," Genma interrupted her and she took a relieved breath, well aware she had been rambling. Concern and relief shone in her gaze. She didn't like to leave Amara alone, but missions were missions and if she was going to trust anyone, it might as well be Genma.

"It should only be a week if everything goes well."

Genma smiled finally and the weight seemed to lift from his shoulders slightly. "Don't worry about it. Seriously."

"...Thank you."

Genma ruffled her hair gently and she swatted him halfheartedly. "Be careful out there."

"I'll be fine. I'm used to this kind of work."

He frowned but let the comment slide for the time being, filing it away to ask Amara later if the opportunity arose. Instead, he chose to ruffle her hair. He knew she hated it and she swatted his hand away with a scowl, yet there was a softness in her expression that led him to believe that she wasn't nearly as annoyed with the gesture as she made out to be. Grinning, he waved her off and she meandered through the village, breathing in the scent of the warm summer air and the happiness that had slowly returned to her newfound home. People had rebuilt and were slowly regaining their usual demeanor now that the last of the repairs had been completed, the last funerals held for those whose bodies had not been recovered, and the grief that hung overhead slowly began to fade.

She paused near the gates of the school and Amara came bounding towards her, grinning happily. While the young girl was a kunoichi in her own right, it had been a condition that she continue her education and she had gladly accepted the chance. Kana draped an arm over her shoulders and the sister's made their way towards their home, dodging the shadow that tailed after them until it faded.

"I'll be going on a mission for a week or so," Kana told her younger sibling. "If you need anything, I told Genma to keep an eye on you."

"That's a little hard when we keep him in the dark, isn't it?" Amara said wryly and Kana snorted, tugging her sister's golden locks.

"It keeps him busy."

They shared a grin at his determination. It had been going on for weeks now, that either Genma or Hayate had tailed them, both annoyed at the sibling's secrecy about their lodgings.

"We both value our privacy," Kana had defended their decision and Genma had tsked in irritation.

"What if something happens?"

"Then we'll handle it." Kana retorted and heard Genma growl audibly, his hands clenching.

"You frustrate the everloving hell out of me, you know that?" he snapped and Kana smiled wryly.

"Someone has to keep you on your toes. Besides," she teased, "how else would you fill your time if it wasn't spent trying to annoy us?"

"Probably on something that's actually productive," he said, plainly frustrated.

He had enlisted Hayate, the young man showing an aptitude for tracking and gathering information. The youth was fond of both sisters, despite knowing them for only a short period and had found himself adopted in much the same way that Genma and Raido had. Even still, both girls remained stubbornly silent and evasive. Therefore, when Kana had asked him to watch over Amara, he had found himself wishing that some of the secrecy that shrouded the pair might be lifted. Still, he found himself disappointed as Amara remained just as elusive as her sibling.

Finally, he had had enough. Kana's mission was running longer than anticipated and he was determined to get some sort of an answer out of one of them. He could respect privacy, but the extremes that the two went to frustrated him, especially from an ANBU standpoint. Should there be a situation where the ANBU squads needed to be assembled in a hurry, having to hunt down the elder Kimura sister was a detriment. He had raised the point to her before, but she simply smiled and told him that he needn't worry.

"Mara," Genma called and the fair haired girl bounded towards him with a smile as she left the school. He draped an arm over her shoulders, gently ruffling her hair as she fell in beside him. "How's it going, kiddo?"

Amara grinned up at the taller teen and he listened to her chatter about her day. Finally, she took a breath and he couldn't contain a laugh as she blushed, realizing that he hadn't been able to get a word in edgewise. "Can I ask you a question?" He decided to just go for it and saw her tense, but her head bobbed.

"Why do you guys hold everyone at such a distance?" He asked quietly and Amara glanced down, her expression guarded.

"Trust me, it's better this way for now."

"Why?" He persisted, "It isn't as though we're going to break in like you two do..." He tried to tease her to alleviate the unease that lined her face, but only saw her withdraw further.

"Please, just...just give us time to get settled in. Once we get things sorted out, it might be easier..." she said hesitantly and saw him frown, his eyebrows drawing together over concerned amber eyes.

"Sorted out? It isn't as though we care about if your place is messy..." He mused and she shook her head.

"It isn't that...just...just let it go for now, okay?" She looked so close to tears that he couldn't bring himself to continue questioning her.

"I'm sorry, Mara..." he breathed a quiet apology and hugged her gently. "Come on, let's head back to my place. Rai was going to come over later. You can stay over or head home after dinner, alright?"

She nodded and he steered them towards his apartment, keeping her carefully tucked against his side. For her part, she didn't pull away, but he could feel her shiver and he regretted his decision to question her. As much as it frustrated him, the last thing he wanted was to push them away. The hollow look in their eyes had finally started to fade into a distant memory and he would give anything to keep it that way.

Raido noticed her withdrawn attitude when he arrived. The cheer in her smile was forced and everything about her seemed tense.

"Everything alright?"

Amara smiled tightly and nodded. "Just fine. How was your day?"

"Ah- fine... Nothing too unusual..." he said, somewhat thrown by her blatant lie. Her normal honesty seemed to have vanished with her usual sunny attitude and he cast a glance at Genma, worried. The younger man's mouth pulled and he looked away guiltily. Raido's gaze sharpened and he patted her head gently. "Let us know if you need any help with your homework, okay?" he said softly and she nodded, instantly dropping her attention back to her homework.

Raido glared at Genma as he left the girl sitting at the table. He stalked over to his friend and caught his arm in a vice-like grip, dragging him down the hallway. "What did you say?"

"I was just worried, okay?!" Genma hissed back, frustrated.

"Damn it, just let it go!" Raido snapped, his voice hushed. "Either they tell us or they don't, but it's not your business to bully them into telling. Hounding after them is only going to make them pull away more, got it?"

Genma sighed, feeling more guilt ridden by the moment. "I know. After today...I wasn't going to ask again."

"Good," Raido fixed him with a glare. "Whatever happened to those girls, we aren't going to pry. They just started opening up. The last thing we need is for them to slam those gates back shut."

"Yeah, I know."

Raido nodded, satisfied for the moment. Releasing his friend, he returned to the living room. Genma slowly followed after, his eyes drifting to the withdrawn girl at his kitchen table. Wordlessly, he slipped out the front door, ignoring Raido's questioning glance. When he returned half an hour later, he plopped a bag on the kitchen counter and began pulling out various items. Amara watched him cautiously, the wary look in her eyes nearly breaking his heart and he made his way over to her. Gently, he closed her book and plucked the pen from her fingers, ignoring her confused frown, and pointed at the couch.

"Go pick a movie and hang out with Rai," he told her, "I'll be there in a second."

Hesitantly, she did as she was told. He returned to the kitchen and as Raido set up the movie, he worked on arranging the snacks he had purchased. He balanced a bowl for each of them in his hands and made his way into the living room, handing one to each before settling down beside Amara. Her eyes were wide as she looked from the bowl to him and his lips twitched in an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry for earlier, Mara," he said softly, "It's none of my business. Can you forgive me?"

She stared at him for a moment, still not entirely comprehending. Then, she nodded. A small smile crept across her lips and she dove into his side, her face burying in his neck.

"Whoa, hey!" Genma caught her bowl as it tipped. After a moment, he chuckled, staring down at the girl that had burrowed against him and shook his head. "You're going to have some poor sap wrapped around your finger when you start dating..." he muttered and Raido laughed.

"Don't worry, her taste in movies will balance it out," Raido commented and Amara unburrowed enough to stick her tongue out at him.

The tension had vanished from Amara's expression and she happily curled between her two friends. Both men draped an arm over the back of the couch, effectively encircling her between them and she relaxed into their comforting presence. The movie she had picked was terrible- a B rated film at best. But still, to see her laughing again, both Raido and Genma would have happily watched a dozen more. When she fell asleep, curled against Raido's side, the older man had simply snorted. Wrapping her in a blanket, he carried her to Genma's spare room and tucked her in. He was amazed she stayed asleep but shook his head with a content smile as he clicked the light off and shook his dozing friend awake.

"I'm heading out," he said, and Genma stretched with a groan. "She's asleep already so try to keep it quiet, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah." Genma sighed as he slumped back into the couch. "You act like I was going to throw a party."

Raido raised an eyebrow and Genma rolled his eyes, waving off his friend. "See you for training tomorrow, Rai."

"Night."

XXX

"Mara!"

The fair haired teen whirled at the sound of her sister's voice, a grin spreading over her lips. She had sensed her errant sibling long before she had reached the village. Class had drug on for an eternity before the teacher had released them, leaving her fidgeting in her seat and casting glances out the window. Tempering her impatience to see her sibling again was the knowledge that Kana would have to report in on her mission before being officially off the clock.

Amara gave a delighted squeal and bounded towards her sister. She had stayed the past two days with Genma, the apartment that the sister's shared feeling too large and empty without both of them. Genma didn't seem to mind the intrusion. True to his word, he hadn't pressed her further for information. Kana laughed as she found herself wrapped in a tight hug by the blonde girl and tweaked the long golden locks gently.

"I missed you too, brat."

"I was worried when you didn't come back after a week!"

Kana snorted, but a fond smile touched her lips. "You know you would have been able to tell if I was hurt, right?"

"That doesn't make me worry any less!" Amara argued and Kana laughed.

Her stomach rumbled and she smiled sheepishly at the younger girl. "Dinner and I'll tell you all the gritty details?"

XXX

Genma's eight weeks were nearly up when he met them. The two missing siblings were sitting with the two Kimura sisters as he approached the training grounds and he repressed a shiver as the pair noticed him. Two sets of golden eyes locked on him and the two males they belonged to rose as a pair with an almost inhumane grace, their sisters following immediately after.

"Genma!" Amara darted past her brothers and hugged the wary tokubetsu. He smiled at her and patted her head as he gave her a one armed hug in return, noticing how the two men's eyes instinctively narrowed.

"Peace, you two." Kana said softly. "He's a friend."

"Does he-?" Ren asked, trailing off and saw her shake her head.

"No one other than the Hokage."

Ren frowned but nodded and Tsume studied the newcomer that Amara was dragging towards them. Genma met his stare calmly but inwardly, he was chilled to the core by the pair of them, surprising even himself with the wave of fear that had slammed into him.

"It would seem our sister's have chosen their friends well." One of the men remarked and the other nodded slowly.

"Don't be rude, you two..." Kana said with a sigh, "Ren, Tsume, meet Genma. Genma, meet our absentee brothers."

"Nice to meet you." Genma nodded at the pair warily, not offering his hand and neither of them extended theirs.

"Likewise." The taller of the two with silver white hair, Ren, said calmly. The second male, Tsume, simply gave a soft grunt, his golden eyes raking over the teen whose arm Amara still held. While his gaze wasn't unfriendly, it wasn't exactly welcoming and Genma found himself looking away after a moment. Kana and Amara's eyes darted between their brothers and friend, unsure of what to make of the confrontation. The chakra flowing around Tsume made the hair on the back of Genma's neck raise. It was as though he could almost see two energies crashing together, not quite in sync with one another.

"Knock it off," Kana's voice was low and Genma's eyes snapped to her, surprised to hear the undercurrent of anger in her tone. Her grey eyes were hard as she glared at Tsume and gave her a lazy smile. He ruffled her hair fondly, a calculating look flickering through his eyes even as the golden orbs softened with affection. Amara huddled into Genma's side suddenly and he glanced at her worriedly.

"Perhaps we should be moving along," Ren said, his voice holding an edge despite the calm expression he wore.

Tsume sighed, "I'll behave. Just testing him."

"Well, stop it," Kana snapped.

"Regardless," Ren continued as though neither had spoken, "we are two outsiders inside a shinobi village that we have no longer hold an alliance to. I doubt our presence here will be welcome for long."

"That isn't true!" Amara interjected, breaking her silence. "We're here. You don't have to leave... The alliance isn't dead."

At her words, the three remaining siblings visibly flinched. Not sure what to make of the rapidly shifting mood, Genma watched. Kana stared at the ground, her entire body seeming to huddle in on itself. The two brothers' shoulders sagged and any bluster that Tsume had shown was gone. The only sound was the wind blowing gently through the trees nearby and Genma cleared his throat softly.

"I really should be going," he gently untangled Amara from his arm, "Rai's waiting for me for sparring." Sparing the brother's a glance, he inclined his head towards them. "It was nice to meet you both."

He made as graceful of an exit as he could. The old wound that still bled inside both his friends was alive just then, and his remaining there would have only rekindled his desire to know their full history. It wouldn't have been fair of him to stay. If they were ever going to tell their story, he wanted them to do so willingly. It might take years, he reasoned, but he wouldn't push them. He had promised that much and he wouldn't go back on it now.


End file.
